Page 61 of Lost
That was Pat’s cue. He got up without a word and headed for the booth, that look of concentration still on his face. And that could mean only one thing: he had a list of things in mind that he wanted to achieve. This was most definitely not a bad thing — Zack loved that his band mates paid so much attention to detail and were all about getting things right — but the closer they got to the end of the recording process, the more that he found himself wanting it to be done. It was getting to that stage where he needed to remind himself to slow down, to enjoy the process, to make sure they were getting things right. Nothing that they rushed would ever be as good as what they could do when they took their time.
“Fifty bucks says he’ll be in there all afternoon and still not be happy,” Brendan said, shooting Zack a knowing look. Zack could only shake his head and grin in response.
Eliza Beth was in for a treat, because Pat had been performing better than ever on this album. By the way that her eyes glimmered as she listened to him, he knew that he was right. Lysander had previously made a comment on how great the vocals were sounding, but he could never judge them the way that a fan would. Eliza Beth could — and her reaction was all the convincing that Zack needed to know that this album was going to be a hit with the fans.
“She’s loving it.”
Brendan nodded. His eyes were back on the girl too, but he didn’t look quite as thrilled as Zack felt.
Pat wasn’t happy with his first lot of recording, so he and Axwell set off again as the rest of the band fell into a routine of keeping themselves distracted. Chris was working on the bass lines for their final song; Aaron was lying on the couch, texting. When Brendan announced that he was going outside to get some sun, Zack decided to go with him. It was almost one by then and he hadn’t stepped outside once since arriving at the studio that morning. Being locked indoors for so long was starting to make him feel boxed in. He needed air.
The Californian sunshine was more than welcome on their backs, and Zack sat himself under it eagerly. A part of him longed for the old days where he might have sat there relaxing with a beer in his hand, but another, newer part of him knew his drinking days were slowly coming to an end. The same had been true for Brendan when Melody came along, and looking at the guitarist now, Zack thought that it showed. Brendan had never looked unhealthy, but now he was always glowing.
“I miss the beach,” Brendan said, catching Zack off guard. “We should take off next weekend and spend some time on the beach instead.”
“Been meaning to say the same thing for weeks. Do you think Pat would go for it?”
“We’ve been working hard. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind a day or two to relax himself.”
A day on the beach was exactly what they would all need after the work they had been doing, and Pat would have to be mad to deny it. One weekend off would definitely not hurt — especially since they were maybe two weeks off finishing. And their wives would no doubt appreciate the day more than they would. The poor women were always so neglected during these times of work. The thought of a day on the beach with Georgia was exactly what Zack needed to get him through the next week.
The back door of the studio opened, and out stepped Lysander.
Zack’s first instinct was to wonder what was wrong, but the smile on his son’s face assured him that nothing was amiss. He grinned at Brendan as the guitarist nodded in greeting, then made his way over to the two men in silence.
“Hey, kid. Something up?”
“Everything’s fine, Dad,” Lysander assured him. “I just wanted to come out here and say thanks.”
“Thanks?” Zack repeated. He raised an eyebrow. “What are you thanking me for?”
“For letting Eliza Beth come along today. Especially after I was so annoyed about coming last time.” Lysander rubbed the back of his neck, looking sheepish. “She’s having a really great time.”
“Well, we aim to please.”
“She seems nice,” Brendan said. “Your girlfriend. How long has she been a fan?”
“I don’t know,” Lysander admitted. “She doesn’t really talk about it. I only knew she was a fan because she mentioned it to me once in passing, but even then I forgot until I introduced her to Dad and everything sort of came out.”
Brendan wore a look that Zack didn’t like. It was thoughtful and suspicious and it filled his stomach with dread. But he also knew that it was probably nothing. It was in their nature to be weary of newcomers. It was their way of keeping safe, of making sure their lives were kept private. Zack would have been the same had their positions been reversed.
“Well, good for you.” Brendan smiled at the boy. “I gotta make a quick call to Nat, check on Melody and all, but I’ll be back with you guys soon. Better get back in there before that girl falls in love with the studio instead.”
The studio was once again quiet when Zack and Lysander made their way back inside, though a quick sweep of the room showed nothing out of the ordinary. Axwell was still sitting by his computers, configuring one thing or another, and Aaron hadn’t left the couch. Pat, Chris and Eliza Beth were nowhere to be seen.
“Kitchen,” Aaron said before Lysander even had to ask. He didn’t stop texting as he added, “Something about needing water.”
“Thanks, bud.”
Knowing that he would get no conversation out of the drummer or their producer, Zack followed his son. He had some suspicions of his own — that he would find Chris breaking into the beer, and Pat going over lyrics again — so the kitchen seemed like the safest bet for him, too.
But the moment the door was pushed open, he was wishing he’d never come back inside.
Pat and Eliza Beth were both definitely in the kitchen, but the girl wasn’t getting a glass of water. If he’d pushed the door open a second later, or even a second earlier, they would have missed it entirely — the way that Eliza Beth had grabbed the arm of Pat’s chair, swerving him towards her, the way she’d swooped in…
She’dkissedhim.
Not just an innocent peck on the cheek, either. She’d gone for the lips, and Zack was still debating over whether or not he had seen a flash of tongue before Pat had pushed her in surprise and the girl had toppled to the floor. Judging by the outraged look on Pat’s face, it didn’t matter — whatever she’d done had been bad enough for him.
